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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ball — a great time
  5. shower — rain
  6. mug — a face
  7. current — electric
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. lie — to recline
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com